It is with great sadness and gratitude that the Guild announces the recent passing of Tony Kean, Fellow #2, Honorary Life Member and Inspiration for the Tony Kean Award.
Tony served the GSGA as President, Secretary, Treasurer and Touchplate Editor, and actively supported the Guild in every way possible. His creativity and love for Australia and local design was expressed with amazing skill and sensitivity in both jewellery and sculptural forms.
Further tributes will be shared in Touchplate.
Thank you to the members of the GSGA that attended the AGM , in person at GAA house, or online via Zoom. It was great to see some new faces especially from interstate. The committee looks forward to working with both current councillors, members, state representatives and our affiliates in the trade.
Current Secretary, Ian Dun has resigned the Secretary’s position due to other organisation commitments and we welcome Brooke Everett and her experience within the GSGA to the role.
Thanks to all that braved the heatwave to attend the Timberyards on the Labour Day long weekend (Ironic!). It was exceptionally good to engage in face-to-face conversations with the many people that visited our outside stand and inside as the GSGA volunteers ventured into the cooler climes! Well done to the organisers in creating opportunities for all facets of the jewllery trade to gather.
Ray Stebbins – Fellow of the GSGA #32
Trained in the early sixties, Emeritus Professor Ray Stebbins established the Jewellery and Metals program at Melbourne Teachers College in 1969. In 1978, he undertook a Masters Degree at the Royal College of Art in London . He headed the Metalcraft department at Melbourne State College from 1981 to 1984, when he moved to RMIT and headed the Gold and Silversmithing programs at RMIT University until 1997. In 1991 he was appointed Australia’s first Professor of Gold and Silversmithing. Professor Stebbins has lectured extensively and curated more than 30 gold and silversmithing exhibitions around the world. As a practising silversmith he has participated in over 40 exhibitions, has work in public and private collections, and has won four major awards.
It is with the utmost sadness that the GSGA advises all of the passing of our beloved member (#60), teacher and friend. Debbie’s life of creativity, love, care and generosity was abruptly ended after a period of declining health on September 28.
As a master enamellist and jeweller, Debbie created a diverse range of beautiful pieces throughout her career using the cloisonne’ technique, precious metals and precious gems of all types.
Debbie’s virtuosic displays of colour, composition and form will be enjoyed for generations – with her large scale Daintree panel series at Brisbane airport the largest and most easily accessible – and her wearable artworks in the possession of many many collectors around the globe.
The GSGA shares with many groups around the world our appreciation for Debbie’s kindness and generosity in passing on her extensive knowledge – nurturing and mentoring developing artists and enamellists at all stages of their creative journeys.
On behalf of all within the Guild and the jewellery/enamelling communities we thank Debbie’s family for sharing this precious person with us all, and wish to convey our sincere condolences, gratitude and grief at her passing.
Debbie was an active member of the Council of the Gold and Silversmith’s Guild of Australia, and a recent recipient of the Tony Kean Award for her services to the Jewellery community in Australia. Debbie was awarded the Outright Winner of the Australian Jewellery Design Awards in 2019.
Internationally, Debbie won the “Saul Bell Award for Enamel” in 2016, was Invited to judge in 2017 , and was awarded the “Best Of Show 2019″. Debbie was an active contributor to enamelling forums around the world, and we share with the global community the sadness that marks the end of her creative contributions in this revered medium. Her enthusiasm and desire to keep learning and expressing her ideas meant that Debbie’s best works were still to come.
Expressions of Condolence have been conveyed from around the world.
please use the following links to learn more of Debbie’s life work from external sources….
2019 Saul Bell Design Award (SBDA) Best of Show interview
The GSGA will be returning to Sydney for the first interstate Trade Fair in years. Come and say hi, chat with the Executive , and view the Touchplates! Touch on any new ( or old) maker’s marks on the spot! Join Fellow GSGA members for a social get together on Sunday evening at 6pm. This will be upstairs at the Newtown Hotel 174 King St Newtown. This Hotel is within walking distance of Carriageworks and easily accessible to and from the city.
A recent article by Desma and Tim Read it Here
The Council of the GSGA is currently updating our Member’s information storage and management systems. Records of admission are gradually being added and the most current detail from the website and administrative sources are mostly transferred. Enhanced levels of detail on member’s professional and creative activities will enable easier and more accurate establishment of provenance for pieces made by GSGA members. As this is an entirely new system, please be patient if there are any teething details . Any feedback would be welcome via email to info@gsga.org.au
To update your personal details please log into the Members Information Database at members.gsga.org.au. The first step is to register on the main page. Shortly after, active members will be advised that their profile is active, and ready to go!
John Miller from WA has been interviewed for the the ABC
View his video interview HERE
Debbie Sheezel was interviewed after winning the Saul Bell International Jewellery Award for her amazing piece LINEAL ALCHEMY. The interview is reproduced here and can be found alongside other GSGA news in the current issue of Touchplate.
Click HERE for the Interview
